# Looking for a "smooth" entrance to Bourbon



## Funkalicious (Sep 24, 2008)

I've had Bourbon a few times before and have liked it but can't for the life of me remember what I've had...

In general, I am looking for a smooth-sipping bourbon - the huge alcohol burn punch in the gut is just something that I can't do and one of the reasons I have yet to find a scotch that I like.

Any recommendations for a bourbon would be welcomed!

-Matt


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## Giovanni (Jun 19, 2007)

Woodford


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## tsolomon (Feb 23, 2008)

Check the bourbon sticky on this forum, but you know there's a bourbon slope as well. :r

My favorites are Eagle Rare 10, Knob Creek, and Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage and Woodford Reserve. :tu


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## BarneyBandMan (Mar 29, 2007)

Gentleman Jack is quite smooth and non-abrasive.


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## Volt (Jan 6, 2008)

tsolomon said:


> Check the bourbon sticky on this forum, but you know there's a bourbon slope as well. :r
> 
> My favorites are Eagle Rare 10, Knob Creek, and *Evan Williams Single Barrel *Vintage and Woodford Reserve. :tu


Absolutly the smoothest, least bite and excellant over ice and a lime wedge on the side (appearence counts . The Evan Williams Single Barrel is both affordable and excellant. Easy to spot, it's the only EV bottle with a wax seal on the top.

There are some other good bourbons, but come with a little more bite. The 1776 is also very good but maybe a tad more than you might want to pay if your still in the test mode. Outstanding over ice.

Great place for bourbon info....

Of course we all have different tastes, but other good ones would include Woodford, Eagle Rare, and Pappy's. Buffaloe Trace ..... I had one sip and left it in the motel room for the maid, thank God I had a bottle of EVSB on stand by. YMMV

Remember - Life is too short for Philly blunts and cheap liquor.


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## Volt (Jan 6, 2008)

BarneyBandMan said:


> Gentleman Jack is quite smooth and non-abrasive.


While I love my GJ, it's not a bourbon.


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## Scott W. (Jul 10, 2008)

tsolomon said:


> Check the bourbon sticky on this forum, but you know there's a bourbon slope as well. :r
> 
> My favorites are Eagle Rare 10, Knob Creek, and Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage and Woodford Reserve. :tu


All of these are Awesome. I have been going through 2 bottles of Evan Williams per week. THink I have a problem?


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## TEAK (Sep 26, 2007)

Knob Creek, Woodford, Wild Turkey Rare Breed and Even Jack Daniels Single Barrel


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## Funkalicious (Sep 24, 2008)

Awesome. Thanks for all the replies guys. Keep 'em coming! :tu


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## okierock (Feb 24, 2006)

Bookers - Smooth/Slightly Sweet/Rich finish Kinda pricey

Makers Mark - Smooth kinda like your goto gar

Buffalo Trace - another good goto


others woodford, knob creek


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## MadAl (Feb 19, 2006)

Basil Hayden and Ezra B


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## BengalMan (Aug 13, 2007)

I second Basil Hayden's. Also try:

Elmer T Lee
Four Roses
Rock Hill Farms

To be honest though, if your drinking bourbon neat or even on the rocks, your going to get some burn. It's a 80+ proof alcohol with no mixer, your going to feel it. Just start with a cup full of ice and about half bourbon and let it sit for a few minutes and swish it around. Drink it like this at first. THen each time after, put in less ice, let sit less, etc. until you get to either drinking it neat, or with just an ice cube or two. Eventually you'll be able to drink George T Stagg with one ice cube with no problems.


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## boonedoggle (Jun 23, 2006)

Just had some Evan Williams 1793 that was unbelievable!


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

*Makers Mark - Bourbon

Johnnie Walker Black - Scotch*

*Enough Said!!!*


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## gtsetgo (Aug 26, 2008)

JohnnyFlake said:


> *Makers Mark - Bourbon*
> 
> *Johnnie Walker Black - Scotch*
> 
> *Enough Said!!!*


i like the way you think. :tu


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## BarneyBandMan (Mar 29, 2007)

Volt said:


> While I love my GJ, it's not a bourbon.


True that. Jumped in too soon.

I vote the Knob or the Maker's Mark


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## ThreeSheets (Jul 4, 2008)

Knob Creek


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## Gambit (Apr 4, 2008)

Kentucky bourbons are my favorites and Jim Beam is my go-to sipping whiskey. 

I like mine about three fingers deep over one or two cubes of ice.


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## rx2010 (Jan 4, 2007)

JohnnyFlake said:


> *Makers Mark - Bourbon
> 
> Johnnie Walker Black - Scotch*
> 
> *Enough Said!!!*


can't comment on the MM

but JW Black is a mixing scotch IMO. it's rough to drink alone. The Gold Label on the other hand is heaven in a bottle


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

Try Drambuie as I have been hooked on it for nearly 25 years. It is great with cigars and it has such a good taste that you don't mind the little 'burn' in the gut after the first sip. After that it is very smooth.


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## Mr.Maduro (Aug 2, 2006)

I thought this was a thread about bourbon....


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

Mr.Maduro said:


> I thought this was a thread about bourbon....


It was but the brother brought up the scotch and I thought maybe he should branch out and try Scotch Whiskey with the smooth taste of honey that Drambiue offers.


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## parafumar (Aug 23, 2008)

Cigary said:


> It was but the brother brought up the scotch and I thought maybe he should branch out and try Scotch Whiskey with the smooth taste of honey that Drambiue offers.


I may have to watch out for that one, never tried it.

On another note - Be careful w/ booker's - pretty sure it has the power that after you drink it, it has the power to go back 2 generations and peel the paint off your ancestor's house... just my opinion.

(coming from a scotch guy that drinks it neat). For what it's worth... we were shooting it though. :r


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## parshooter (Dec 22, 2007)

Best for the money, less than $25, is Bullit. Very easy to drink :tu


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## TheTraveler (Aug 20, 2008)

I've gotta chime in with the Woodford Reserve crew. Definitely a nice bourbon. My next choice would be Maker's Mark.

I agree with Volt about the Buffalo Trace - I'm thankful I only bought a little "airplane" sized bottle to try. Three sips and I poured it out. 

By the way, I recommend trying that size bottle of whatever bourbons you're wanting to sample instead of buying a fifth or a liter. Most good bourbons can be found in the small bottles.


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## tsolomon (Feb 23, 2008)

Sunday's Washington Post had an article on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...092602136.html?sid=ST2008092602136&s_pos=list


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## bigman (Aug 4, 2006)

I’m by no means a pro or sophisticated bourbon drinker, I prefer Makers Mark, myself, but my wife and I completed the bourbon trail on our honeymoon, and we sampled from 7 distilleries and some had two or 3 different grades, and of them all our two favorites were the Four Roses Small Batch, followed by the Elijah Craig 18year Old Single Barrel. The only problem with the Four Roses is that it is currently only available in Kentucky, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Colorado, California and Tennessee; however, they are phasing in about three states a year. The Elijah Craig is available almost every where, and both run about $45 per bottle, at least at the distillery the Four Roses was $45, and in my local liquor store the Elijah Craig was $48. Then, if you can’t get either of those, or try them and want others again I prefer Makers Mark, but you really can’t go wrong, at least with the 80 to 90 proof bourbons, the over 90 proof ones may not be exactly smooth. Of those that we tried the only one that to me was unpalatable was the Baker’s 107proof from the Jim Beam distilleries, however, the Booker’s 120-127proof was much better that the Baker’s.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=185531

Pappy van Winkle makes a quite smooth Bourbon. Smooth would be an excellent adjective for this one.


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## MadAl (Feb 19, 2006)

Hate to continue the threadjack, but JW Black is my favorite blend, neat. Lots of tastes here, the fun is trying them all.


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## Bigga Petey (Mar 25, 2005)

MadAl said:


> Hate to continue the threadjack, but JW Black is my favorite blend, neat. *Lots of tastes here, the fun is trying them all.*


Yup.

Basil Hayden is nice and smooth. 
Neat is the only way to drink this stuff.


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## kas (Nov 22, 2006)

Volt said:


> While I love my GJ, it's not a bourbon.


Right. Suggesting otherwise will get you in an argument in Tennessee and Kentucky.


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## mugwump (Jun 7, 2007)

My everyday pour is Elijah Craig 12yo. It's on the inexpensive end of the spectrum but I find I like it better than many of the premium labels. For some reason I don't care for the 18yo. And if you find you prefer the taste of Bulleit then start looking into rye whiskey as well since that one is about as close to rye as a bourbon can get and still call itself bourbon.


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## cherrybomb (Aug 27, 2008)

basil hayden's


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## dhaus (Jan 16, 2007)

Elmer T. Lee from Buffalo Trace. Just unbelievable. Was looking for Woodford Reserve and the manager suggested I try this instead. He was right.


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